1. Purdue (16-6, 9-2) – For a while on Sunday, it looked like the Boilermakers were going to fall victim to the upset, just as Michigan State and Michigan did this week. Instead, Purdue erased a 13-point second-half deficit at home against Minnesota for its seventh straight victory. The Boilermakers are playing better than anyone in the conference, which moves them to the top for now, and judging by the remaining schedule, it’s hard to see where the next defeat might come. Last week: 3. Michael Conroy, AP

2. Michigan (20-2, 9-2) – The Wolverines have seen their offensive efficiency drop and it played a big part in the loss at Iowa on Friday. However, with a defense that is as good as any in the nation, the Wolverines will be in every game they play. They’ll hit the road this week to play a scrappy Rutgers team before welcoming Wisconsin in what is shaping up to be a critical matchup in the conference race. Last week: 2. Matthew Holst, Getty Images

3. Michigan State (18-4, 9-2) – The Spartans had nearly a week to recover from their loss at Purdue, which ended a 13-game winning streak. However, they were flat at home on Saturday against Indiana, getting outrebounded – including allowing 20 offensive boards – while they shot just 8-for-22 from the free-throw line in an overtime loss. Whether it ultimately amounts to simply a bad game or is a sign of trouble on the horizon remains to be seen. Last week: 1. Dale G. Young, Detroit News

4. Wisconsin (16-6, 8-3) – The Badgers have overcome a slow conference start and are now in the thick of the Big Ten race. Winners of five straight after knocking off Nebraska on the road and Maryland at home, the Badgers are starting to build some momentum headed down the stretch. The upcoming week is a big one with trips to Minnesota and Michigan, two games that could determine whether the Badgers have a shot at the title. Last week: 4. Andy Manis, AP

5. Iowa (17-5, 6-5) – The Hawkeyes continue to be one of the toughest teams in the conference to figure out. They don’t play much defense and entering Friday’s game against Michigan they had lost two straight, giving up 174 points total in the two games. Of course, they followed that by giving up just 59 to upset the Wolverines and now get ready to head to Indiana, which just ended its seven-game skid. Last week: 7. Charlie Neibergall, AP

6. Maryland (17-6, 8-4) – The Terrapins are in the midst of a midseason lull, having lost three of their last four games after having won seven in a row. The lone victory came at home against Northwestern. But the Terps couldn’t build off that, losing at Wisconsin in a game that could prove critical in the Big Ten race. Only one game is up this week, though it will be a challenge for the Terps, who hit the road to take on a Nebraska team that is desperate for a win. Last week: 5. Andy Manis, AP

7. Minnesota (16-6, 6-5) – The Golden Gophers were in perfect position on Sunday, up 13 in the second half at Purdue. However, they couldn’t close the deal and have now lost two of four heading into a week that includes a home game with Wisconsin and a trip to Michigan State. It was an opportunity lost for a team that is scrambling to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume. Last week: 6. Michael Conroy, AP

8. Ohio State (14-7, 4-6) – The Buckeyes missed out on a big opportunity at Michigan early in the week but bounced back to knock off Rutgers for their second win in the last three games. It should signal a turnaround from the five-game skid that had the Buckeyes looking like a team that was playing itself out of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll get Penn State at home this week before heading to Indiana for a critical matchup. Last week: 8. Paul Vernon, AP

9. Rutgers (11-10, 4-7) – The Scarlet Knights are young, which leads to some inconsistencies. But they did put together their first three-game winning streak in Big Ten play after beating Indiana at home earlier in the week. A win at Ohio State for four in a row was a tough ask, but the Scarlet Knights are proving they’re not an easy mark and have steadily improved throughout the season. Last week: 10. Paul Vernon, AP

10. Indiana (13-9, 4-7) – It’s hard to get a handle on the Hoosiers. Are they the team that lost seven straight games or the one that walked in and upset Michigan State on the road Saturday night? With Devonte Green and De’Ron Davis back in the lineup, it’s a probably closer to being a team that can compete with the conference leaders, though a shoulder injury to Juwan Morgan is worth keeping an eye on moving forward. Last week: 12. Al Goldis, AP

11. Illinois (7-15, 3-8) – The Fighting Illini continue to make life difficult for the rest of the Big Ten, playing a tenacious defense that has led to two wins in the last three games, the latest coming this weekend over Nebraska. If the Illini make it two in a row, that means they would have handed Michigan State its third straight loss as the teams meet in Champaign on Tuesday. Last week: 13. Robin Scholz, AP

12. Nebraska (13-9, 3-8) – The Cornhuskers lost Isaac Copeland for the season, but that doesn’t fully explain the freefall they’ve been in for most of the Big Ten season. The Huskers have now lost five straight, the most recent coming to Illinois. It’s been quite the flop for a team that expected to be in the NCAA Tournament and faces a tough upcoming week with Maryland at home and a trip to Purdue. Last week: 9. Robin Scholz, AP

13. Northwestern (12-9, 3-7) – The Wildcats have played four of the last five on the road and managed to win just two of those games. It has them reeling, especially after two straight lopsided losses to Wisconsin and Maryland. A home date with Penn State on Monday allows at least an opportunity to right the ship, but the week ends with a difficult trip to Iowa. Last week: 11. Patrick Semansky, AP

14. Penn State (7-14, 0-10) – When it rains it pours and the Nittany Lions can’t seem to come out from the clouds. They played well enough to beat Purdue at home earlier in the week, but some questionable calls helped force overtime, where the Boilermakers took over. Winning teams figure out a way to overcome those hurdles. Penn State finds ways to add to an eight-game run of losses. Last week: 14. Keith Srakocic, AP

Teske played 1:25 in the first half and fouled out for the first time in 83 career contests. Despite being limited to a season-low 13 minutes, he finished with eight points, eight rebounds and a block as the Wolverines outscored the Hawkeyes by three points when he was on the court.

The harsh reality of life without Teske hit 1:19 into the game when he drew his first whistle while trying to swipe the ball from Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon.

Roughly seven minutes passed before Teske checked back in when Iowa was at the free-throw line. The Hawkeyes promptly grabbed an offensive rebound and Teske picked up his second foul just six seconds after his return when Iowa forward Tyler Cook tried to put him on a poster.

“I talked to some of the other guys about how big of a key Jon Teske is for their team and how much he gets overlooked,” Iowa forward Ryan Kriener said. “Once we were able to get him in foul trouble and he wasn't on the floor, it was a lot easier to get those mismatches that we like.

“When they throw Livers or (Austin) Davis in there, they're more guys that get up and defend in the passing lane, too. So, if you have everyone overplaying, you don't have Teske's presence at the front of the rim.”

For an Iowa team that leans on its frontcourt as well as its ability to draw fouls and get to the line through physical play, Teske’s absence was like blood in the water.

“With Iowa there's no secret,” Livers said. “They're pretty big and they know how to play out the post. That hurt us.”

CLOSE

Michigan coach talks about his team's performance in Friday's 74-59 road loss at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
James Hawkins, The Detroit News

That’s exactly what the Hawkeyes did. With Teske sitting the final 11:42 of the first half, Michigan coach John Beilein was left shuffling his options as the Hawkeyes relentlessly pounded it inside and attacked at every turn.

No matter who Beilein put in at center — he tried freshman forward Brandon Johns Jr. (10 minutes), freshman center Colin Castleton (three minutes), Livers (14 minutes) and Davis (five minutes) — no one came close to matching Teske’s effectiveness on either end. The foursome combined for five fouls, three points (1-for-7 shooting), three rebounds and two blocks.

With Michigan’s lack of a reliable backup five exposed, Iowa ripped off a 21-2 run to seize control and scored 10 of its 40 points in the paint during the flurry.

“We hoped it would be better,” Beilein said when asked how he envisioned navigating a first half without Teske due to foul trouble. “But this is a bad one to not have him because he does so many different things. His first foul was a careless foul where he's reaching, the shot clock is down.

“That does not help his team when he comes out because we don't have this plethora of bigs coming in behind him who have his experience. That was a big foul and changed the whole first half.”

Michigan managed to make a second-half push with Teske back in fold, using his presence around the rim to put together a 14-4 spurt that cut a 15-point deficit down to five. But two more fouls within a 25-second span sent Teske back to the bench, and he eventually fouled out with 3:15 left to play.

"It's a lot different,” Iowa forward Luka Garza said of Michigan when Teske isn’t on the floor. “He's a big key for them. He's an anchor down low. One of our game plans is always to try to get their big in foul trouble. We attacked them inside and tried to get him out of there.

“I think we did a good job once they kept rotating guys and we continued to take advantage of it.”

While Teske’s importance and value for Michigan has never been in doubt this season, Iowa’s strategy and Friday’s outcome amplified it.

And if others throughout the Big Ten hadn't taken notice, they certainly have now.

“Not having (Teske) obviously made a big difference,” junior guard Zavier Simpson said. “But we've got to find other ways because some games are going to be like this.”